Three's a Crowd
by EmeraldTooth
Summary: Sam, Tucker, and jazz are worried about Danny. They think he's starting to break under the pressure of his secret after the events of TUE, but there are very few people they trust enough to help. But however good their intentions, not even they know the true extent of his secret. ActualGhost!Danny AU
1. Chapter 1

Summary:

Sam and Tucker are worried about Danny. Afraid that he's starting to break under the stress of his secret, they go to the only adult they trust enough to possibly help: their teacher. But not even they know the true extent of his secret. ActualGhost!Danny  
AU

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Prologue

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"Daniel, I need to speak with you." Clockwork's low voice distracted the young Danny Fenton and his friends from their celebrating. They had just returned to the Clock Citadel, thermos containing the half-ghost's evil future self in tow.

Said half-ghost was currently in a headlock and being noogied by Sam as she laughed maniacally at his playful protests. Their laughter tapered off and they turned their attention to Clockwork, though they still sported wide, shit-eating grins. Danny extracted himself from his friend's headlock, chuckling all the while.

"I'll be right over, Clocky." The Halfa snickered before turning back to his friends. "You guys go ahead and head back. I'll be right behind you." He told them. Once they nodded and turned toward the Specter Speeder, he began walking to the Ghost of Time with a wide grin still on his face.

"Yeah, C-dubs?" The halfa questioned, snickering at the nickname he so cleverly devised. He quickly sobered, though, when he noticed the rather grim expression on the normally impassive ghost. "What is it? Is there something wrong with the thermos?"

Clockwork shook his head at Danny's question, but didn't speak further, only watched as the boy's friends climbed into the speeder and took off into the Zone, disappearing into the swirling green ectoplasm miasma. Once the vehicle was out of sight, the ghost looked down at the expectant child staring up at him.

Danny knew there was cause to be alarmed when the normally stoic ancient began to look somewhat _apprehensive_. "Clockwork... What's wrong?" The Halfa asked nervously.

Clockwork sighed and closed his glowing red eyes for a moment before opening them again. With a breath that he didn't need, the Ghost of Time spoke, "Daniel. There's something you need to know... I would rather you find out on your own, but there are too many possibilities for that timeline to end in disaster..." The ghost trailed off and stared down at the teenager in front of him. Danny looked scared, but determined.

"Tell me. I can handle it." Danny stated confidently, though he still looked incredibly anxious.

Clockwork winced at the boy's words, but obeyed anyway. With another unnecessary breath, he steeled himself and said in an unfeeling tone,

"You're dead, Daniel."

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Author's note:

I know it's short, but this is just the prologue. Also, this is my first time writing a DP fanfic, so if I write someone too out of character just let me know and I'll try to fix it, the same goes for any mistakes you guys see. Don't be afraid to point out flaws, it helps me improve. On another note, updates will most likely be sporadic and spaced far apart since I don't have a beta so I have to do it myself and I want to try my hardest to make my first Danny Phantom fic great.

Don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: The first version of this chapter posted a few minutes ago was for some reason glitched and garbled, so ignore the notification you might have received and read this instead.

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Sam Manson and Tucker Foley prided themselves in reading their best friend's expressions and behaviors. If he was feeling sad or frustrated, they would instantly know despite how hard the teen tried to hide it. They knew him well enough. They would then eventually get their best friend to open up and tell them what was troubling him, and help him get through whatever it was he was struggling with.

Now, however, they couldn't for the life of them get Danny to tell them what was wrong this time.

It started after Danny got back from Clockwork's place the day before. he didn't say a word to them as he exited the Ghost Portal, only looked at them with red-rimmed eyes devoid of emotion. He stood there for a few minutes as Tucker asked what was wrong. After a moment, Danny finally just shook his head and said that he was tired and they should all go home and sleep so they'd be ready for school the next day. With that, he silently walked out of the lab while his friends stared after him in concern.

The next morning, he was the same. At the bus stop they always met at, Danny was unresponsive and gloomy. He only gave mumbled replies or a dejected shrug to their questions and concerns. With each prod, Danny became more and more withdrawn, until finally, he disappeared.

Tapping into his invisibility, Danny made his escape from the pressure and worry, ignoring his friend's calls and the tears gathering in his eyes as he fled. He ran with one all-encompassing thought:

'They can't know the truth.'

School was also much the same. Sam and Tucker couldn't even find Danny in the halls, only in their classes where he stayed just as silent as before. His depressed disposition seemed to bleed out into the room, affecting other students and making the atmosphere distinctly gloomy. Everyone avoided him. Even Dash could tell something was seriously wrong and left him alone for the day.

Sam and Tucker, however, pursued him and tried to get him to talk. To say _something_. They had no idea what was wrong, and they had a feeling it wasn't just anxiety about juggling school and ghosts, or worrying about what would happen if someone found out. This was something serious. Something they feared might be his breaking point. By the end of the day when Danny vanished again, they were certain on one thing; they needed help.

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Around the same time Sam and Tucker were walking toward their friend's house while planning to prevent Danny from breaking down, the boy was having said breakdown. Locked in the upstairs bathroom of Fentonworks after he had flown there from school, obliterating his past speed record, Danny stared at himself in the mirror. He studied his face, trying to find some flaw, some evidence that he was truly a ghost that just looked human.

He couldn't find any. He could see the small freckles across the bridge of his nose that he'd had ever since he was little and _alive_. He could see the veins in his eyelids, full of what he'd always thought was blood. He could see the start of wrinkles he'd never noticed before, probably borne from stress. His eyes didn't glow. They were the same baby blue they'd always been. His hair was black; not blue, or white, or purple, or any other odd hair color ghosts tended to have. His skin was pale, yes, but aside from that it _looked_ human. He _is_ human... He _hoped_ he was human.

But Clockwork told him he wasn't. Back at the citadel, back when he was sure he was alive and real and corporeal.

" _I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Daniel._ " Clockwork had said. " _But you are not what you thought you were. You are not a halfa. You are not human. You are not_ alive."

Danny closed his eyes tight at the memory, grimacing. He could remember that fateful conversation perfectly.

" _When you stepped into that portal, you sealed your fate. The moment it turned on, you died. Your original body was vaporized by the raw electrified ectoplasm, and the energy surrounding you forced your ghost to form immediately. Then, when the energy simply continued to grow instead of dissipate, you absorbed it. As a result, your ghost was fully formed in a matter of seconds, and it only got stronger. To cope with the huge amounts of power, your body created a way to store it and use it in a way most other ghosts don't. It created multiple forms to take on. One of those forms is your 'human half'"_

Danny opened his eyes and looked back up at his reflection.

" _Most ghosts would give anything to be able to blend in with humans, to live among them and draw energy from them in secret. You have met one ghost that can do it: Penelope Spectra. But she needed a constant energy source to keep up her façade, and even then it wasn't perfect. You're different. Your human camouflage is perfect, and you don't rely on negative energy, but positive energy. When you're around your friends or saving lives, you absorb more energy than you use. As a result, you've been growing in power and your abilities continue to develop. However, your second form is not your primary one_..."

Danny stared into his reflection as he let the cold rings of light wash over him. He now stared into eerily glowing green eyes.

" _Considering the mass amount you absorbed upon forming in the portal, and how much you absorb daily with each act of heroism, your primary form has been growing in power steadily. You've only been using your abilities in your second form, which originally had no other purpose other than to create a barrier between your 'human' half and your primary one to prevent too much energy from destroying the much weaker and perfectly formed human disguise. It wasn't meant to be used in combat, which is why you had such a hard time controlling your powers at first, but soon you adapted, and your body began to balance out and allow you to siphon more power from your primary form into your second form. However, it hasn't been enough to counter how much energy you receive... If you continue only using your second form, the energy you have stored will reach dangerous levels. If not released properly... you and likely countless others will not survive the backlash_."

Danny's now green eyes roamed over his new reflection, familiar and alien in its own way. He wondered how he could have possibly missed a third form. Shouldn't he have felt it? Though, now that he was thinking about it, he could feel the hum of energy just beyond his reach. It was an odd purring, steadily growing, almost becoming audible as he acknowledged its presence, as if it was excited to be recognized after so long.

Danny closed his eyes tight again and hesitantly reached out in his mind to cross that line, to touch the freezing orb of energy residing in the center of his chest.

" _I must warn you, Daniel. Although this third and final form is you in all but body, due to the buildup of unused energy, it has become distorted, almost corrupted, and quite... unsightly._ "

The wave of cold energy washed over Danny once again, this time it was almost violent. It surged forward like a viper strike, and felt almost unbearably cold compared to his normal transformation. The sudden surge of raw power that crashed into him like a sledgehammer would have forced the breath from his lungs, if he had any. It felt like getting zapped by the portal all over again. It was unbearable. He was in complete agony for what felt like an eternity, but was really only a split second. Then, as suddenly as it came, it stopped.

Danny slowly opened his eyes, and found himself staring sideways at the bottom of the bathroom door. He was curled up on the cold tile, though the temperature didn't bother him because his body felt a thousand times colder, yet he felt fine. The humming was a constant thing, hanging in the background. It was almost soothing, if it wasn't for the itchy, pins-and-needles feeling of the built-up energy crackling just under his skin.

With a few jerky movements, Danny tried to get up. A horribly dizzy sensation overcame him and he had to close his eyes again, but he continued to try. Eventually, his groping hand caught the edge of the sink counter, and he gripped it for dear life as he hauled himself up unsteadily. Danny held onto the marble edges with clenched fists as he waited for his head to stop spinning.

Once it did, he slowly opened his eyes and looked into the mirror once again...

" _I'm sorry, Daniel._ "

And _screamed_.

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AN: don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** sorry for the delay. I don't know why but this chapter was really hard to write.

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

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Danny practically ripped at his reverse transformation after what he saw in the mirror. The soothing and familiar rings of light washed over him and he almost cried out in relief as he felt his body became less cold, less powerful, and less... horrifying. He belatedly realized that he was on the floor again, curled in on himself. The feeling of moisture on his cheeks helped ground him, and the shaking of his sobs reminded him that he was human in _mind_ and _soul_ at least.

He couldn't fool himself any longer. He really was a ghost. Clockwork didn't lie to him. Of _course_ Clockwork didn't lie to him. He had no reason to lie, no way to benefit from just giving Danny a scare. It was all true.

Everything he knew, his _life_ , had been a lie. It was all _fake_. He'd been trying to live as both a human and a ghost for nearly a year when in reality he didn't even possess a life at all. He didn't want to believe it, even now, after he had stared the proof in the eye..

Danny scrubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, as if to remove the horrible image of himself in that reflective surface. He only caught a glimpse, but that was enough. He saw blue skin like glacier ice; wild, flaming white hair that haunted his dreams ever since he was exposed to his evil future self; glaring green eyes that lacked a pupil, surrounded by what should have been white sclera, but was replaced with a pitch black void; and worst of all, a gaping mouth that stretched far wider than physically possible, filled with wickedly sharp needle-like teeth. That was all that Danny could bare to see before throwing himself away from the mirror.

The only comforting thought in the wake of this horrible situation, was that at least he didn't look like Dan.

No... He looked _worse_.

At the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, Danny hurriedly wiped away his tears and choked back his sobs. With a flash of light, he was back in his human façade, and consequently biting back another sob at the thought that it was truly fake. A knock on the bathroom door came a moment later.

"Danny?" It was Jazz. She sounded concerned and a mite frantic. "Are you okay? I heard you... uh... scream."

Danny's lips twitched into a tiny smile at his sister's obvious worry. Though her pause was confusing, he ignored it and answered in a voice as steady as he could muster at the moment, "I'm fine, Jazz. I just... Slipped and fell. I was startled is all. Thanks for asking though."

Jazz hesitated before responding. "O-Okay... If you need to talk, I'm always here for you. You know that, right?" She said gently, almost pleadingly, through the door.

Danny instantly felt guilty for making his sister and friends so worried about him, but he couldn't let them know the truth. He just couldn't bare to tell those he held closest that they'd been lied to for almost a year, that he wasn't really half human.

"I know, Jazz. I'm fine, ok? I'll be just fine." He lied, voice choked and filled with sadness.

Jazz made a despairing noise and stayed where she was for a few moments before sighing and walking away. Danny let out a shaky breath and slowly sat up. He hugged his knees to his chest, resting his chin on the top of them. His head was a little clearer, thanks to Jazz distracting him, so he thought over his situation once again.

He was dead, that much he knew for sure. As a result, he'd have a much harder time explaining himself to his parents when they figured it out or when he decided to tell them. Danny's lips twitched up into a sad little smile. His mom and dad had been recently toying with the idea that ghosts had higher emotions and he knew that a few pushes in the right direction could convince them that ghosts were more human than they thought. Plus, Danny knew that his parents loved him. It might take them a little while to accept him, but he liked to think that they'd believe him. Though, that didn't mean that he was going to tell them any time soon. He was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. And there was still the possibility that... They _wouldn't_ accept him... But Danny refused to continue that train of thought.

Next he tried to think of how this would affect his normal 'life.'

He obviously had to keep up his normal routine, or else people would get suspicious. Which meant that he'd still have to deal with school and ghost hunting, all while trying to act how he normally would, like he did before he had a bombshell dropped on him.

Danny rubbed at his eyes when a fresh wave of tears threatened to appear. He didn't want to lie to his friends and family. There hadn't been secrets between him, Sam and Tucker for years, but now he had to break that unspoken rule.

He was just so _scared_. Scared of what he truly was, and what he was capable of. Clockwork had said that his power exceeded that of Pariah Dark himself, even with the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage. And that was far more terrifying than what he'd glimpsed in the mirror. Danny had just barely mastered his current powers, ones that he wasn't supposed to be able to use in his 'phantom' form in the first place. If those were just from leeching excess power from his third form, what kind of mass destruction could he wreak from the source of it all? Danny shuddered to think of it.

But, Clockwork also said that he was literally a ticking time bomb. By unknowingly neglecting his third half, he was teetering on the edge of a total meltdown. So that meant that Danny had to do something about it, which also meant he'd have to face his third half and fix the problem. He really didn't want to do that. He really didn't want to feel like that ever again, like he was being struck by lightning, like he was about to burst with energy, like he was a _monster_.

Danny raked his hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. He'd have to face it sooner or later. That was another thing that would affect his daily life, finding time to get away and release some of the power overloading him. He had to 'disarm' himself, the 'ticking time bomb'. Danny gave a weak little chuckle at his poor excuse of a joke.

He felt a little better now. Only a little, but it was enough to give him enough energy to get up off the floor, open the door, and walk across the hall to his room. Once there, though, that little bit of motivation evaporated and he could only stumble to the bed before collapsing. He felt exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. He was utterly drained, and he deserved some sleep. Danny let his mind go blank and he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

- _Group messaging. Jazz Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker foley. Created 7:32 PM -_

 _Jazz: Hey guys? There's something wrong with Danny._

 _Sam: We noticed at school. Didn't you?_

 _Tucker: Yeah. You were giving him looks all day, why didn't you talk to us then?_

 _Jazz: he got worse. I didn't even know he was home until I heard a scream coming from the bathroom. Only... It wasn't really a scream at all._

 _Tucker: What do you mean? What happened?_

 _Jazz: He said that he slipped and fell, but I don't believe that for a second. It didn't sound like a 'whoops' scream. It was almost like his ghostly wail, only it didn't destroy anything. It was just the sound. And when he talked to me, I could tell he had been crying. He wouldn't talk to me, maybe he'll talk to you guys?_

 _Sam: that's really strange. Maybe whatever is wrong with him is ghostly in nature?_

 _Tucker: when is something strange NOT ghostly in nature when it comes to us?_

 _Sam: Tucker be serious. Danny's been acting really depressed and I'm worried all of this is getting to him._

 _Tucker: all of what?_

 _Jazz: she means the secret and everything. I thought of that too. Maybe he's starting to crack. A secret as big and life threatening as his is way too much to be on the shoulders of someone his age. He needs adult help. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, I don't count._

 _Sam: I agree. He needs to talk to someone, but who? Not his parents, they wouldn't want to just sit and talk._

 _Tucker: Maybe Clockwork?_

 _Sam: No, he needs another human. Besides, Clockwork didn't seem like the counselor type._

 _Jazz: then what about an actual counselor?_

 _Tucker: what do you mean?_

 _Sam: oh. I see._

 _Tucker: see what?_

 _Jazz: yeah, him._

 _Sam: you sure he'll help?_

 _Jazz: I'm sure. He's helped Danny before and I know he cares._

 _Tucker: who are we talking about?_

 _Sam: if you're sure, then we can talk to him tomorrow._

 _Jazz: I'll come too._

 _Tucker: CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PLS?_

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Author's note:Once again, thank you for reading and don't forget to review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note** : sorry for the delay(again) but this chapter is a longer one and is pretty chill as far as angst goes. Kinda. Also we get to learn what Danny's third form looks like in more detail! Well, almost all of it. Anyway, I have drawn concept art of what Danny's third from looks like so if you want to see it, just message me on Tumblr or Twitter, my Username is SapphireClaw on both.

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 **Chapter 3**

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Danny didn't go to school the next day. He told his mother that he wasn't feeling well, which wasn't completely a lie. He still felt sick to his stomach about what he learned and saw. He just needed a day to himself to come to terms with it, and to find out how in the world he was supposed to keep his body from exploding.

Once Jazz left for school and his parents left to patrol for ghosts, Danny got up and got dressed. He felt so heavy and almost weak that the task seemed monumental, but he got it done and stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen. After staring at the fridge for a while, Danny decided to skip breakfast, he probably couldn't keep anything down for long anyway.

The boy turned away from the fridge and looked at the stairwell that led to the basement. There was a cold pit in his stomach and a weight on his chest as he watched the flickering green light against the metal flooring visible at the bottom. Danny knew what he had to do, but that didn't help him feel any better about doing it.

Finally after what felt like an eternity, Danny forced his legs to move and he sluggishly made his way down into the lab. The boy shivered as his gaze met the swirling green of the portal. That was where he died. That machine was what killed him. This was where it all started so many months ago.

Danny shook those thoughts away and steeled himself before taking those last damning steps toward the doorway to another dimension. His dimension. The one he was _supposed_ to be living in. Danny was almost afraid that once he went in, he wouldn't come out, despite the fact that he'd been to the Zone many times before. He had to do this and no amount of paranoia would stop him now.

With one last deep breath, Danny stepped into the swirling ectoplasm of the portal and entered another world. The shocking cold of the ghost zone instantly took that breath from him, but he quickly warmed up once he was all the way through.

Danny surveyed the familiar area around the portal exit. He could see skulker's island a ways off, and of course the ever-present floating doors were there. There were a few new ones, like always, and they all looked interesting, but Danny quickly dismissed the idea of exploring them. He had a job and he was going to do it before he got cold feet.

So, with a rush of adrenaline and a flash of light, Danny was in his ghost form and pushing off the portal into the green expanse of the Zone. He floated for a little while, just to put some distance between himself and the only exit just in case he blew something up on accident.

After looking around to make sure no other ghosts were around, Danny closed his eyes tight and mentally reached for that vibrating ball of icy energy that had always been present within him.

The transformation wasn't nearly as violent as it was before, though it still hurt like hell, and Danny couldn't stop a few whimpers from escaping, it was smoother than the time in the bathroom. When Danny finally opened his eyes after a few moments of spastic movements and shocking pain, he realized that everything seemed a little brighter, a little clearer.

"Ok... So enhanced vision. I can add that to my notes." Danny said aloud, then startled at the sound of his own voice. It echoed more than it did in his second form, overlapping itself eerily.

"Well, note number two: my voice sounds like Bill Cipher's creepy cousin. Great."

Next Danny moved on to his appearance. Looking down, he saw that he was still wearing his trademark hazmat suit, though it did look strangely roughly sewn together compared to what it was usually like. At least he still had his trusty logo.

Another thing Danny noticed was that he could plainly see his ribs through the fabric. He seemed almost skeletal. Raising his arms, the boy confirmed it, as his arms were much thinner than before, with more sharp edges than round ones, tipped with long-fingered hands with wicked claws protruding from the ends.

"This doesn't make any sense." Danny mumbled. "If I'm supposedly overflowing with power, shouldn't I be buff as hell?"

Shaking off his disappointment, the boy moved on to the next part of himself: his legs. Or, what should be legs. They were currently a spectral tail, though it looked more like dark, billowing smoke than the regular misty snake-like one he was used to. Furrowing his brows in concentration, Danny tried to reform his legs, but to no avail. They stubbornly stayed in their smoky tail form.

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder..." Danny mused. Before lifting his gaze and searching for a place where he could view his face. He remembered seeing strange floating door that was just one big mirror somewhere near skulker's island, but Danny didn't know what would happen if he looked into it. It was a ghost zone artifact, it could suck him in and trap him for all he knew.

Danny also remembered a suspended river of some sort somewhere behind the floating portal. Though the river was also home to a huge sea monster, Danny decided to risk it. Compared to the strange mirror, it seemed safer. If he went back now to just use a mirror in the real world he wouldn't be likely to return here out of fear.

The ghost prepared to zoom away toward where he remembered seeing the river last, but was interrupted by an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Ghost child! You have made a fatal mistake coming here! I shall have your pelt for sure!" Came Skulker's grating voice from behind him.

Danny groaned, shoulders sagging. "Skulker, I don't have time for this, leave me alone!" He said, turning around to face the metal ghost.

What greeted him was not what he expected. He expected to see a battle-ready Skulker showing off some sharp new blade ready to slice the poor ghost boy's head off, or a shiny new gun that did who knows what. What he saw, however was the complete opposite.

Skulker was trembling, audibly rattling his metal armor as he stared wide-eyed at Danny. If a steel face could be pale, Skulker would be white as snow. The ghost shakily raised an arm and pointed at his prey. "Y-You're not the ghost child!" He stammered in a shaky, high-pitched voice uncharacteristic of the metal hunter.

Danny cocked his head in confusion. "You okay Skulks? Do you need a glass of water or something?" He then frowned when Skulker only continued to watch him with wide eyes. "Stop that. Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to stare?"

Skulker immediately looked away and floated backward several feet, bowing his head so quickly it banged against his chest with a lout metallic clang. "I-I apologize!" He gasped. "I did not mean to disturb you or insult you in any way! I mistook you for someone else. Please forgive me." The mechanical ghost pleaded.

Danny stared at him with wide eyes. "S-Skulker, stop that! You're freaking me out!" He squeaked, deeply disturbed by the usually confident and violent ghost acting so submissive. "You've never acted this way around me!"

Skulker raised his head and hesitantly looked Danny in the eyes, as if he was afraid of the repercussions of doing so. He seemed confused as he searched Danny's face, before recognition lit up his eyes.

"Ghost child! That really is you, isn't it?" He gasped in shock. The ghost raked his gaze over Danny once again. "But how? Last time I checked you were... Well..." He trailed off.

"Alive?" Danny's scoffed, lips stretching into a wry smile. He noted with some interest that the action seemed to disturb Skulker immensely. "You're right. Just yesterday morning I thought that too. Until a certain ghost of time told me otherwise."

Skulker's confused and nervous expression turned into one shock. "You know the great Clockwork?"

"Yes, I know Clockwork. Now will you please answer my question?" Danny demanded. He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration at the lack of information he was getting out of the ghost, though he quickly pulled his hand back with a hiss of pain. Ectoplasm tipped two of his new claws from where he had cut his scalp. It was oddly dark colored, unlike the neon green of what he was used to. Danny filed that information away before wiping his glove-covered claws on his suit before turning back to Skulker.

The ghost was shaking once again, staring at where Danny had wiped away the ectoplasm. "Oh... So you _are_ that kind of ghost." He murmured cryptically, inching further away from Danny.

Danny's interest piqued. "You know what I am? Could you tell me more? Clockwork didn't mention very much about my species." He pleaded, immensely happy he could learn more, despite his source being one of his enemies.

"Your kind has no name, and I've only ever heard stories of one other ghost like you." Skulker said haltingly, but picked up his pace at the interested look on Danny's face. "It was said that she could walk among the living, defeat even the strongest of ghosts, and devour the souls of her enemies. She was a horrible beast that laid waste to the infinite realms many centuries ago before the ancients banded together to send her to oblivion." Skulker looked away for a moment, thinking hard. "I always thought it was just a myth, a tale told to scare ghosts into obeying the ancients. But I guess she must've existed... For _you_ to be here." He murmured, looking back up at Danny's stunned face.

"This thing _ate_ other ghosts?!" The boy cried, looking sick. "I don't want to do that! Clockwork never said anything about eating ghosts! In fact, he never said _anything_ about another ghost like me!" He shrieked, gesturing wildly.

Skulker looked both alarmed and relieved at Danny's reaction. "Calm down ghost child! Nobody is telling you to go devour anyone! I don't know the whole story, but you could go to someone who does. Maybe the Ghost Writer?"

Danny floated back and forth worriedly, raising his hand up to his mouth to bite his nails, a nervous habit of his, but quickly pulled them away as he remembered that both his teeth and his nails were currently very sharp. "I can't go to Writer! I was such a jerk the first time I met him and even though I didn't press charges for attacking me during the truce, he's sure to hold a grudge." The boy suddenly stopped pacing and stared off into the darkness of the Zone beyond Skulker's island. "No... I have to go to Clockwork. He would know the most about this. Besides, he's the one who told me about me being... well, whatever I am." He decided, nodding to himself.

Skulker fidgeted where he was floating in front of Danny. "So... You've actually _spoken_ to the Master of Time?" He asked hesitantly.

Danny's gaze moved back to Skulker. "Yeah. He was supposed to destroy me to prevent a disaster in the future, but instead helped me avoid causing it." The ghostly boy smiled a little, a fond gleam in his eyes. "Clocky's alright. He's pretty nice when he isn't trying to kill you."

Danny's smile dropped when he noticed Skulker's nervousness seemed to escalate and his gaze darted around worriedly. "You okay, Skulks?" The ghostly teen asked, concerned.

Skulker seemed to snap out of whatever thought he was lost in and nodded jerkily. "I-I'm fine, child. Thank you for your concern."

Danny gave a genuine smile, though that seemed to only make Skulker even more nervous. "Any time, Skulker. Honestly, it's been nice chatting with you. Usually you're trying to gut me with some new weapon." Danny turned away from Skulker, missing the alarmed look on the ghost's face. "Well, I should probably be off if I'm going to make it to Clockwork's on time. See ya!"

Before the boy could soar off, Skulker called his name again. He turned back to the hunter and gave him a questioning look. The ghost fidgeted once before saying, "Y-You don't suppose you could forget all that, could you? About me hunting you, that is."

Danny stared at the mechanical ghost in shock. "You're not going to hunt me anymore?" He asked. Skulker shook his head no in reply and Danny grinned. "Really? Water under the bridge, then." He gave the startled ghost a wave before flying off. "Lately fights with you have mostly just been good practice anyway!" He called out as he sped away.

As the boy sped through the ghost zone, feeling a little lighter and a little more at ease, he let himself forget for just a while that he was dead and all the complications that came with it. That didn't last long, though.

* * *

Sam and Tucker were both concerned and relieved that Danny didn't come to school that day. Concerned because he must be getting worse if he actually skipped a day, and relived because they could talk with who they needed to without Danny getting suspicious.

Once the last bell rang the two met with Jazz near the main entrance to put their plans into motion. Together they walked through the halls toward the vice principal's office, during which Jazz told them that the reason Danny didn't come was because he said he was sick.

"Was he?" Sam asked.

Jazz shrugged. "He looked pale and shaky, so maybe he was. Who knows." She replied. Sam frowned worriedly but didn't pester the older girl for more details.

Tucker then piped up. "So, all that aside, why are we going to talk to Mr Lancer again?" He asked.

"Because he's a trustworthy adult and a counsellor, which is exactly what Danny needs." Jazz answered plainly.

Tucker sighed in frustration. "Yeah I get that part, but how could he possibly help Danny? We can't tell him the big secret, and that's exactly what's bringing Danny down, so how can Lancer help with that situation?"

It was Jazz's turn to be frustrated. "I don't know! I just have a feeling that Mr Lancer would know what to do. Danny needs an adult to rely on, and I know he wouldn't want mom and dad anywhere near his secret, plus, Lancer has proven time and time again that he is trustworthy and will do whatever he can to help his students." She stated, determined.

Sam nodded. "I agree with Jazz. We aren't going to tell Lancer Danny's secret. All he needs is to realize that he isn't alone in this. That should help a little. I know Danny loves us and appreciates us being there for him, but he needs more support."

Tucker sighed again. "Alright, I get it. I'm just worried that Danny might not see it that way..." He mumbled.

Jazz frowned, looking conflicted. "You're right. He might get mad, he might feel a little betrayed, but he needs this. I've been contemplating getting him outside help for a while now, and with how he's been acting lately, I think now is when he needs it most." The oldest Fenton sibling looked up from her musing and smiled a little. "Besides, we're already here, so there's no going back."

The trio now stood in front of a door labeled with a small plaque that read "vice principal's office" and underneath that were vinyl letter stickers spelling out "counselor". After the spectra fiasco, Lancer had taken it upon himself to become the next counselor. After a while the school hired another person who wasn't already a teacher, or vice principal, or a ghost, but Mr Lancer stayed as a second counselor because he liked helping the students and he found that he was good at it. So now the man was not just the vice principal and teacher, but also a school counselor. Jazz smiled a bit and shook her head. She didn't know how he did it all.

Sam and Tucker seemed nervous and after a while of staring, Jazz sighed and finally knocked on the door. It opened after a few moments and as expected, there stood their English teacher. He looked somewhat surprised to see the three there, but his expression soon changed to one of realization.

"This is about Daniel, isn't it?" Lancer asked, concerned.

The trio of teenagers exchanged glances and after a beat of silence, Jazz took the lead and nodded. "He needs help. Something's happened to him but we don't know what. He's distant and withdrawn, which isn't normal for him, at least around us it isn't. We're afraid that he's starting to break under pressure and we can't help him. He needs an adult." Jazz looked up at the man pleadingly. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but Danny actually respects you. Of any adult, he'd be most likely to share what's wrong with you."

Mr Lancer looked contemplative for a few moments, before his brows furrowed in confusion. "You said out of all the adults you know I'd be the best bet. But what about your parents? Why haven't you gone to them?" His confusion turned to worry. "Is there a problem at home, Jazmine?"

Jazz shook her head and waved her hands frantically. "No! It's not like that!" She calmed herself and blushed in embarrassment at her outburst. "It's just... Danny's been going through something serious, and our parents would most likely only make the situation worse, and we can't risk that. We want to help Danny, not give him more to worry about." Jazz winced at the suspicious look her words caused the teacher to give her, she quickly elaborated, "I'm not saying that our parents would do anything bad on purpose, so please don't push the matter further, I just feel that Danny needs someone less attached to the situation. That'd be you." At lancer's continued suspicious and doubtful look, Jazz added, "You're actually his favorite teacher, you know."

That seemed to do the trick. Lancer hesitantly nodded. "Fine. I won't ask any more from you, and I will speak with Daniel, but if I can't get through to him, I'd like you to at least try to consult your parents. I've noticed Daniel's odd behavior yesterday as well, and I'm glad you two are trying to help him. That is very thoughtful of you." The man said, smiling at his students.

Jazz heard Sam and Tucker sigh in relief at the teacher's lack of questions concerning Danny's secret. Before Jazz could begin talking again and reveal something, Tucker darted forward and covered Jazz's mouth with his hand. "Alright then!" He said a bit loudly. "Thank you so much Mr Lancer, we appreciate it. Now we should be going! Bye!" With that, Sam and Tucker grabbed Jazz and pulled her back down the hall from where they came.

"That went better than I expected." Sam commented as they walked toward the school entrance.

"Yeah. I'm surprised he didn't pester us for answers." Tucker replied.

Jazz sighed and shook her head. "You guys don't know Mr Lancer like I do, he's an exceptional teacher, and actually cares for his students. If anyone but us can help Danny, it's him." She stated firmly.

Tucker held up his hands placatingly. "I get it. I'm not saying he's a bad teacher. I just don't have all the extracurricular classes you have with him so I don't know him that well. I'll take your word for it." He looked away and frowned worriedly. "I just hope he can help Danny."

"So do I." Added Sam, giving Tucker a reassuring smile. "If this doesn't work we'll find something else. Danny's a tough boy, he'll be just fine."

Jazz nodded in agreement just as the three reached the doors leading out of the school, and as the three left, they all had the same thought: 'At least I hope so...'

* * *

 **End notes:**

Yay plot development! Also this other ghost of Danny's species isn't really an Oc. She's only mentioned in the fic and will not be making an appearance. Also I loved writing the bit with Skulker. Poor guy knows he's in deep shit for hunting something that could kill him with one finger for so long without even knowing it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:**

Sorry this took so long to get out. It is kind of a dead spot. Not much happens and it's mostly dialogue. But it's got platonic Clockwork and Danny fluff. Yay!

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

The trip from the Fenton Portal to the Clock Citadel took normally around an hour, but to Danny's surprise he hadn't been flying for much longer than twenty five minutes before he saw it in the hazy green distance. The sight of it dulled Danny's excitement over the fact that he had increased flight speed in his third form. He was going to learn more about himself here, be it good or bad. Danny dreaded the possibility of it being bad news.

As he slowly approached the huge wooden doors of the castle-like structure, the icy pit of dread in Danny's stomach grew, until he felt cold all over. He floated in front of the doors for several minutes, just staring up at them. Finally, the boy steeled himself and raised a hand to knock. Almost immediately, the doors swung open to reveal the lord of time himself.

Clockwork gave Danny an easy smile. "Hello, Daniel. I've been waiting for you. Come in and make yourself at home." The ghost opened the door wider and stepped aside so his guest could enter.

Danny did so hesitantly, but felt a little better at seeing Clockwork so welcoming. The guy could see the future, so if he was happy all is well, right? But on another note, Clockwork usually didn't show much emotion, at least he didn't when Danny first met him. The poor boy didn't know how to feel about that.

Clockwork seemed to sense his guest's unease. He set a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile when he looked up. Danny shakily smiled back, but it looked more forced than anything. With a sigh, Clockwork gave the young ghost's shoulder a squeeze before floating away, leading them both deeper into the dark castle.

The walk was nerve-wracking. For Danny, at least. Again, Clockwork sensed the young ghost's nervousness and finally spoke as they came to a stop beside one of the many doors lining the corridor.

"I understand you'd like to acquaint yourself with your new form." The ancient ghost said, giving Danny an easy smile. "You'll find a mirror in this room. Take your time. And remember-" he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder as Danny opened the door. "No matter what you see in that mirror, you're still you."

Danny smiled shakily up at the time lord and nodded, a little light of determination sparkling in his eyes. As he entered the room and closed the door, Clockwork nodded to himself and lifted his staff, tinkering with the clock at the top. The face lit up like a screen and at first showed only static, but then it began to rapidly flash images that the time master processed easily with his glowing red eyes. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw, as he smiled and nodded again.

"All is as it should be."

* * *

Inside the well lit room, Danny was staring around in confusion. It wasn't a very big room, only about the size of a large closet. The walls were a dark grey-green stone, like the rest of the citadel. What caught Danny's attention was the tall mirror on a stand in the center of the room. It was the only thing in there with him. It was huge and rectangular, with a frame that looked like it wouldn't be out of place in Vlad Master's hoity-toity mansion. The ghost boy wondered why Clockwork would have such a room. Unless he could manipulate the castle to whatever he needed? Danny shook off that useless, albeit interesting, train of thought and focused on the task at hand.

Slowly, the boy approached the mirror, coming up to the side of it and slowly leaning over. He caught a glimpse of flickering white hair and quickly pulled away. Thoughts of Dark Phantom assaulted the boy, and he had to forcefully push them from his mind, reminding himself that he wasn't Dan, and that he didn't even look much like him besides the hair. Despite his self assurances, Danny dreaded looking into that mirror, because he knew that even though he wouldn't see Dan in the reflection, what he would see was something potentially ten times worse than his future self.

Steeling himself and taking a deep breath into nonexistent lungs, Danny closed his eyes and stepped forward, standing in front of the mirror. The boy forced his tense muscles to relax, and slowly opened his eyes. Danny couldn't stop himself from gasping and startling a bit, however. He immediately tensed up again and couldn't force himself to look away at the figure staring back at him.

Soon, though, the shock wore off and Danny took a step closer to the mirror, studying his new features curiously. It was the same thing he saw in the bathroom the day before. Danny reached up and gently touched his cheek, careful with his claws. His skin was a light blue, unlike the green-blue of Dan Phantom's, and he stuck by his first comparison: glacier ice, in color and temperature.

His hair was made of fire, but it wasn't just a plume flowing upwards from his head. It was oddly shaped like his normal hair, though it still behaved like fire, flickering and swaying as it burned atop his head. Danny breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Yes, his hair was flaming and white, like his evil future self, but it didn't look _too_ much like Dan's, that much the boy was thankful for.

Danny's attention quickly turned to something else; his eyes. They were large, almost abnormally so, and the sclera was pitch black, with a tiny, slightly oblong orb of electric green that served as both pupil and iris. Though the sight of them was unsettling at first, Danny soon warmed up to it. It wasn't so bad, he told himself. At least they weren't solid green.

Feeling a little better, Danny quickly moved on to his next feature; his ears. They were pointed and the structure was slightly bat-like. Wondering if they were more than just animal-looking, Danny tried to move them, but they refused to budge. That was a small mercy, he supposed. At least his ears behaved like normal ones.

After glancing at his nose and deeming it normal, Danny reluctantly moved on to his last changed feature. His mouth. He'd been avoiding this one. Mostly because it freaked him out the most when he had looked at himself in the bathroom the day before. Even now, with his mouth closed, it was beyond how wide it should be, the edge of his lips ending near the middle of what should normally be his cheeks.

Hesitantly, Danny parted his lips in a smile, and grimaced at how it looked. The smile stretched his mouth even wider, almost literally ear-to-ear, and the sight of his many long, thin, needle-sharp teeth glinting in the light only made it worse. Danny absently wondered what his skull must look like with such a grossly malformed jaw, but then remembered that ghosts technically didn't have bones. Even so, the disturbing sight of his disproportionally wide smile and horrible teeth forced the boy to look away from his reflection.

Danny huffed out a frustrated sigh as he stared down at the cold grey floor. The other things he could learn to live with. The skin, the ears, the eyes, and even the hair, but his new mouth was what really unnerved him. It made him look like something from a horror movie, or those dumb videos with jump scare screamers at the end. No wonder Skulker was terrified of him.

Danny sighed and shook his head. He knew that his horrible appearance was mostly due to the overload of energy, and after he released some of that, it would change. Clockwork said that would happen, and he hoped with his whole being that it would.

Feeling no better about himself than he did when he arrived, Danny sadly trudged to the exit and left the room and the tall mirror behind, shutting the old wooden door a bit harder than necessary behind him.

Clockwork was still floating in the hallway beside the door, and gave Danny a reassuring look. It did nothing to improve the boy's mood, so the ancient ghost dropped the look and sighed sadly.

"Come along, Daniel. I know you have many questions for me, and it's best if we go into the time portal room for this." Clockwork said, motioning down the hall with one arm and resting the other on Danny's back to gently nudge the despondent ghost forward. The two floated silently for the last stretch of their journey, and the only break in the silence was the creaking of the two huge wooden doors they came across at the end of the hall as Clockwork pushed them open.

On the other side was a huge, familiar room. The architecture of the room itself was strange and completely ignorant of the laws of physics. Floating, screen-like portals covered the wall across from the doors, while clocks of all sorts and floating gears and cogs decorated the rest of the room.

As Danny looked around, Clockwork floated forward and stopped in front of one of the time mirrors. He called his guest over to his side, observing the hesitance of the boy as he did so. Once he knew he had Danny's attention, the Master of Time waved his hand over the mirror.

The still image that wavered into view was of a ghost. A ghost with blue skin and white hair that flickered only barely; whose face was split in a smile that was full of slightly sharp teeth, but was no wider than it should be; whose green eyes sparkled with happiness; whose only slightly sharp fingers clutched the fabric of his suit at his stomach, frozen in a hearty laugh. A ghost that walked- with legs, not a wispy tail- next to two familiar figures. One was laughing, her pale face full of joy, black hair flying around her head. The other was showing the girl and the ghost something on a small device that was clutched in a dark hand, his grin was wide and mischievous. The image exuded pure joy. It was an image of a _family_.

Danny stared at the time mirror for several minutes, his mouth agape, at a loss for words. Finally, he slowly reached out a hand and placed it on the screen-like surface, right over the image of the ghost. The mirror was warm, and it hummed with energy under his palm, but Danny's attention was solely on the picture it showed.

"Is... is this me?" The boy whispered, sliding his hand down the mirror so he could see the smiling face of the ghost. "I-Is this what I should look like?"

Clockwork came up behind Danny and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yes, Daniel." The ancient ghost rumbled. "This is what your body will look like once it's energy levels are stable. This is the real you." He gave the young boy's bony shoulder a squeeze. "You aren't a monster, Danny. You have just as much of a choice as anyone in the living world and this one does. Your decisions define yourself, not the views of others or your silly worries. Even if you look the part, you won't suddenly become evil. I've looked at the timelines, and in the direction you're going, most of them come out like this." He gestured to the shining time mirror. "A happy ending. But-"

The Ancient being turned Danny away from the mirror to face him. "The other possibilities end with you overloading and destroying countless lives in the ensuing meltdown. None of these timelines end in you turning evil. It isn't an option anymore. You are so set on not becoming evil, that you've succeeded in wiping out any chances of that happening, so stop worrying about that, and worry about fixing what is happening right here, right now." Clockwork pressed an index finger to the center of the young ghost's chest, right over his trusty logo. "We need to focus on stabilizing your core. I will help you every step of the way, so don't worry too much. But first, you must let go of your silly fears. _I_ believe in you, Daniel. why don't you?" Clockwork finished strongly, crimson eyes boring into the boy's green ones.

Danny stared up at the ancient ghost with wide eyes, trying and failing to speak while Clockwork waited patiently for the child to respond. After making a few aborted sounds, Danny blinked rapidly as tears welled in his eyes. Clockwork sighed sadly and reached up a hand to lay on the boy's flaming head to offer as much comfort as he could.

Danny swiped the back of his trembling hand at his watering eyes to try and stop the flow of tears, failing miserably. Finally, the boy spoke in a quiet, broken voice. "I... I'm just so _scared_ , Clockwork. I feel so helpless and alone. I don't want to die again and I don't want anyone else to die, either. I want everything to work out, but... I don't know what to do. Where should I go from here?"

Clockwork sighed again, the sound full of sadness and frustration. Then, much to Danny's shock, the ghost pulled the boy closer and wrapped him in his arms. Danny tensed up, surprised and confused by the time master's sudden move. The ticking of the grandfather clock in Clockwork's chest was loud and oddly comforting against Danny's ear, and the glass was pleasantly cool, both sensations eventually helped the boy relax into the embrace.

"I can't tell you exactly what to do, Daniel." Clockwork's said. "I'm not allowed to divulge that information. But what I can tell you, is that you most certainly are not alone. I'm here. And although I can't do much, I will always be ready to listen and help you in any way that I can. And, Daniel-" Clockwork pulled away just enough to look down into the boy's eyes. "I think you're forgetting three very important people."

Danny flinched at his mentor's words and turned his gaze away. "I'm not forgetting them... I'm just... I'm just not sure if I should tell them at all." The boy's expression was pained and sad. "Sam, Tucker, even Jazz- They've always been with me through everything, but... maybe they shouldn't this time. I can't make them deal with this on top of everything else, and..." Danny took a shuddering breath, misty green eyes connecting with Clockwork's red ones again. "I'm scared of what they'll do. It's not like I think that they'll hate me-" at the time guardian's raised eyebrow, Danny winced and tried again. "Okay, maybe I am worried about that. I can't expect them to just continue acting how they've always been after dropping a bombshell like this. And that's what I'm worried about most. What if they treat me different? What if we drift apart because of this? What if they hate me?" At that point the boy was trembling and his eyes were filling with tears again, and before he could continue his hysterical rant, Clockwork interrupted him.

"Daniel, I know you're scared. I know you're worried about how your friends will feel, but I think you are greatly underestimating their love for you." Clockwork ran a gentle hand through the young ghost's flickering hair. The soothing motion helped the boy's tremors only slightly, but the ancient spirit knew he had his attention. "I can't tell you much, but I can promise that you will be okay. Your friends will help you greatly. You just need to trust in them, let them bear some of your burdens. Promise me, Daniel. Promise that you will at least try to let them in. Open up to them and they will not let you down." Clockwork sounded almost desperate near the end of his words, and Danny felt guilty at causing it.

With a deep, shuddering breath, Danny nodded. "I'll try, Clockwork. I'll try." He whispered.

* * *

The master of time watched as his charge left his domain, leaving a slowly vanishing trail of black smoke from his spectral tail. Clockwork floated silently for a few moments, staring at the doors that has just shut behind Danny. Then, with an annoyed sigh, Clockwork turned around, glaring into the shadows.

"Why are you loitering in the dark? You know I already know you're there, so just come out and spout your nonsense already and get it over with."

Floating into the light from a dark corner of the room were three Observants, each looking as frustrated as the other. The one in front of the others spoke, their voice tinged with anger.

"You know that the future is not set in stone, Clockwork. How could you _promise_ the ghost child a picture perfect outcome when there are still many possibilities of him making the wrong choice? Why lie to him?" The green one-eyed ghost questioned.

Clockwork gave the Observant a bored look. "Because I have faith in Daniel. You've always underestimated him. I think it is time you all stop obsessing over the bad possibilities, and start looking for the good." He said.

The Observants exchanged uneasy glances, but didn't push the matter further. Instead, the lead Observant spoke up again. "Are you positive he will be successful in diverting the disaster?"

Clockwork smirked and turned his gaze back to the pair of massive doors in front of him. "Absolutely."

* * *

 **Author's note:**

Don't forget to review!


End file.
